Polymerizable amphiphilic molecules and hydrolysable alkyl silanes are employed to form thin films on various surfaces. Thin films have numerous and diverse useful purposes. For example, a thin film may be formed on a lens for scratch resistance or on a metal for corrosion protection.
Oil repellent coatings and water repellent coatings may be provided to certain substrates by applying to a substrate fluorinated silanes. The applied fluorinated silanes are often cured by heating with a catalyst to chemically affix the fluorinated silanes to the substrates. In some instances, durability of the oil repellent coatings and water repellent coatings is an issue.
One problem with applying fluorinated silanes to substrates is that the fluorinated silanes may not have a long shelf live. Another problem is that fluorinated silanes often require high-shear mixing before coating on a substrate. Many fluorinated silane compositions have a high solids content, which results in thick coatings. This can be a problem when thin coatings are desired.